NCAA Women's Tournament | Kentucky's A'dia Mathies snaps back with 34

Mar. 27, 2013

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Written by

Dan Duggan

Special to The Courier-Journal

Kentucky's A'dia Mathies (1) shoots over Dayton's Olivia Applewhite (4) during the second half of a second-round game in the NCAA women's college basketball tournament Tuesday, March 26, 2013, in New York. Mathies scored 34 points as Kentucky won 84-70. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin) / AP

(2) Kentucky vs. (6) Delaware

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The UK Wildcats, 84-70 winners over Dayton, will play Delaware at noon on Saturday in Bridgeport, Conn. Delaware upset North Carolina, 78-69.

The game is set for ESPN.

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NEW YORK — To put into perspective just how impressive A’dia Mathies was Tuesday night, the University of Kentucky guard was compared to Michael Jordan by both coaches after the Wildcats’ 84-70 victory over Dayton in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament at Carnesecca Arena.

Mathies tied a career high with 34 points despite battling a stomach virus, which caused UK coach Matthew Mitchell to compare it to Jordan’s famous “Flu Game” in the 1997 NBA Finals. She also had three rebounds, two assists, three steals and no turnovers.

“We referenced ‘His Airness’ before the game,” Mitchell said. “We were like, ‘I’m not sure this is going to be a Michael Jordan-type performance because she just looked really ill before the game. She just felt terrible. It was a definite Michael Jordan-esque performance.”

Dayton coach Jim Jabir referenced Jordan when describing one of Mathies’ athletic drives to the basket.

“She looked like Michael Jordan — maybe two feet lower,” Jabir said. “There was nothing more we could have done. She’s just a hell of a player.”

The comparisons were best left to others because Mathies calmly discussed her 13-for-17 shooting performance, which included 6 of 7 from beyond the arc.

“I know that I’m big a part of this team,” Mathies said. “In order for us to go, I know it happens if I go. I knew that I had to come out with a great game. I just went out there and played as hard as I could.”

Kentucky, which set the single-season program record with its 29th win, advances to the Sweet 16. The No. 2 seed in the Bridgeport Regional, Kentucky (29-5) will face sixth-seeded Delaware (32-3) on Saturday in Connecticut. Powered by Elena Delle Donne’s 33 points, the Blue Hens upset No. 3 North Carolina 78-69.

“We don’t want it to stop here,” junior center DeNesha Stallworth said. “We definitely want it to continue and get better and just know that we still have a lot of basketball to play.”

Mathies had been held without a field goal for the first time in her four-year career in Kentucky’s first-round victory over Navy on Sunday. But she scored early and often against Dayton, helping the Wildcats open a 38-22 lead late in the first half.

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The seventh-seeded Flyers, led by Andrea Hoover’s 22 points, hung tough with a 17-4 run bridging the two halves to cut Kentucky’s once comfortable advantage to 42-39 with 18:22 remaining. The Flyers closed to 46-44 two minutes later before Mathies took over.

The senior from Louisville’s Iroquois High scored consecutive baskets to restore some breathing room and then added a pair of 3-pointers during a 16-3 spurt over a three-minute stretch that built Kentucky’s lead to 62-47 with 10:32 left.

Dayton (28-3) made one last charge to pull within 75-67 with 3:33 remaining, but Mathies sealed the win with her final 3-pointer with 1:45 left.

Stallworth had 14 points and Bria Goss chipped in 12 off the bench. The stomach bug affected a number of Kentucky players, most notably Samarie Walker, who vomited at the end of the bench during play late in the first half and then returned with a fresh jersey.

“We woke up with a few players sick with a stomach bug, and I just didn’t know how today was going to go,” Mitchell said. “Our team really dug deep and played one of the best games of the year.”